Remember when you were a kid, and could play a pick-up game of basketball with your friends or (after a little begging your parents) sign up for any of dozens of sports? Those days don’t have to be behind you. There are actually a ton of sports and activities that are open to us grown-ups. Here are a few.

In making the list, we chose sports and activities that are accessible to people with little or no experience. We also left off some of the obvious things, like running, weightlifting, and yoga, because you already know you can just go do those any time.

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Most of these also come with some sort of community—either you’re on a team, or interacting with a group of regulars. And since the best workout is the one you like
(because it’s the one you’ll actually do) having buddies is a major help to your fitness.

Solo Sports

Indoor bouldering is probably the easiest form of rock climbing to get started with. You don’t need ropes or a partner, and you won’t be going very far off the ground; the challenge is to climb along a marked route without falling off. Of course, once you start hanging out at climbing gyms, you may make friends who will rope you into other types of climbing. Here’s a list of climbing gyms.

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Social dancing makes the “solo” list because you don’t need a dedicated partner, although bringing a buddy can provide a psychological safety net. Get started with a combination of taking lessons and just going out to dances. To pursue dancing as a sport and hobby, see if you can find a group of dedicated dancers who hold practice sessions and go to workshops. I’m partial to lindy hop, a form of swing dancing, but you can find similar communities built around salsa, tango, and many others.

Circus arts provide physical and mental challenges. Aerial silks classes are available in many cities (you’ll climb and twist in fabric suspended from the ceiling) but you may also be able to find a circus school offering classes in other skills like unicycling and trapeze.

Traditional Team Sports

You can play almost any traditional team sport on a recreational basis. Google your favorite along with your location and words to the effect of “adult leagues” and you may find just what you’re looking for, either as a standalone league or part of a group like Zogsports or Sports Monster. Softball, basketball, and flag football are typical offerings.

Competitive sports may be available in your area too, and here I have to put in a plug for women’s football. There are leagues like IWFL for full-contact American football for women, many of whom weren’t allowed to play as girls or didn’t realize they could. As a result, tryouts often don’t require prior experience.

If you love swimming, or want to learn, check out Masters Swimming, but don’t let the name fool you—it’s not made up of really good “master” swimmers, but simply adults who swim. Some have a history as competitive athletes, but many Masters clubs hold lessons and practices geared towards beginners.

Unusual Sports

Roller derby, available for women and increasingly for men*
, is a full-contact sport played on wheels, although more often on flat ground than banked tracks. Leagues tend to be tight-knit social groups, amping up the addictiveness factor. The Derby Roster lists competitive leagues worldwide. Some also offer no-contact or less-contact recreational programs, or find one through an organization like Derby Lite.

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Adapted from the pages of Harry Potter, Quidditch is a real sport played without magical spells. (The snitch, instead of being a flying golden ball, is a ball carried by a neutral player dressed in gold.) Many teams are based at colleges, but US Quidditch lists “community” leagues as well.

Adult leagues for kickball are becoming increasingly popular; you can find a league through the World Adult Kickball Association. And if you have fond memories of skipping class to throw a frisbee around on some university lawn, you may want to check out the ultimate frisbee leagues listed at USA Ultimate.

There’s no way this is a complete list, so tell us in the comments—what fun sports did we miss?